eXistenZ (1999)

Virtual Neo-Realism

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

The The brilliant filmmaker David Cronenberg returns for the first time since his 1996 masterpiece Crash and with his first original screenplay since 1983's Videodrome.

Jennifer Jason Leigh stars as a guru-like video game designer who takes Jude Law on a trip into his first virtual reality video game. This game requires one to have an implant in one's spine and to plug the game cartridge directly into the body. Once inside the game, nothing turns out the way it seems.

Cronenberg delivers sci-fi thrills while all the time staying true to his vision of finding the link between humans and technology. Fans may find certain similarities between eXistenZ and Videodrome bothersome, but both films are the real thing.